Clutch mechanism



A 1,1930. H. A. TUTTLE bLuTcH MEQHANISM Filed April 4, 1927 Patented Apr. 1, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY A. TUTTLE, or neuron, MASSACHUSETTS; JENNIE L. TUTTLE EXECUTRIX or sun HENRY A. TUTTLE, DECEASED I CLUTCH MECHANISM Application filed April-'1, 1927. Serial No. 180,705.

This invention relates to clutch mechanisms especially adapted, although not necessarily restricted to use with reversing gearings and has for an obejct' the provision of a novel form of clutch mechanism and operating mechanism that has but a axial extent.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an adjusting ring by which the I pressure on'the clutch plates can be regulated,

together with'clutch operatingliiiks which have a direct and'rocking bearing on the adjustment ring. I n 7 A further object is generally to improve the construction Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a reversing gearing having clutch mechanism embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 isa perspective vlew of one of the clutch operating links.

. Fig. 3 is a sectional'detailillustrating a; modified form. ofclutch operating mechanism.

Fig.4 is a perspective view of one of the clutch pins illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a clutch pin:

illustrated in Fig. 3. g

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of one. end of the split-pressure-adjusting ring. The invention as here shown is applied to a 1 reversing gearing including the aligned driving and driven shafts 10 and 12 respectively. Aplanetary gear carrier 14 is fixed to said driving shaft and overlies the driven shaft.

7 gears 16 and 18 respectively are rotatably supported v on pins 20 carried by said carrier. The large pinion gears 16 are arranged in constant; mesh" with a spur gear 22fixeditol the end of the drivenshaft. The small pinion gears 18 arein constant mesh with a loose;

spur gear 24 which is rotatable on the hub 26 of the gear carrier 14,.which hub also comprises a bearing-support for theend of the verse drive.

and gear stationary to set the-gearing for rerelatively short I and operation of clutch Y p is set for forward drive.

Sets of connected large and smalland driven shaft directly for forward drive.

Said clutch mechanism includes a clutch plate carrier comprising a circular plate 32, the hub of which is fixed to the driven shaft by means of a key 36. A cylindrical member or drum 38 is secured to the peripheral portion of said plate 32 by bolts 40. Said drum has a radially inwardly extended plate 42 which is spaced in parallel relation with said: plate 32 and forms therewith an enclosure in which the clutch plates are contained and also coinprises a support or abutrnent against which the-clutch plates are pressed when the clutch Said drum is provided with internal gear teeth 44 and a set of slidable alongv said internal gear teeth 44.

The hub 26 of said gear carrier 14 is provided with a second clutchplate carrierin the form of a ring 48 which is keyed to said hub. Said ring is provided with external gear teeth 50 and a set of clutch plates 52 having internal gear teeth are arranged in mesh with and are slidable on said gear teeth 50 and are spaced alternately with respect to the clutch plates 46. The outermost clutch I plate 46 of the first group preferably is thicker than-the other clutch plates and forms a 1 pressure plate against which the clutch engaging pressure is adapted to be applied. Sa1dplate is held yieldingly out of clutch engaging position by means of pins 54, one

of which is shown in Fig. 1, which are slidably extended through the plate 32 and are provided with'compression springs 56 which bear against said plate 32 and nuts 58 carried by the ends of said pins.

Pressure is applied on said plate 46 to set the, clutch bymeans of cylindrical thrust pins 60 which are carried by and slidable axially in said-plate 32 and have fiat innerends which are adapted to bear against the clutch plate 46 The outer ends of said thrust pin 60 are provided with axial extensions 62 in the middle thereof, which extensions have a height approximately equal to the diameter of the 1 pins and a width which is materially less ring adjustabl'y in set position.

than the diameter of the pins whereby to provide fiat cam faces at the base of the extensions and at opposite sides thereof. Said extensions are provided with axially-extended slots therein to receive guide pins of the clutch operating links. I

The clutch operating mechanism includes a split adjusting ring 68 which is larger'inforce' the proximate ends of said ring" apart whereby to crowd the ring against 'the" cylindrica'lexten sion 72 and thereby to'lock the The inner 'face'of' said ring is provided with acontinuons annular groove 78 which is approXiinately semi-circular in cross section, as b estillu'strated in Fig. 6, and said'inner groove' is :adapted to form a bearing seat fo'rthe clutch operating links.

p A clutch operating swinging linjkSOis associated with each thrustfpin' 60'. The inner end or heado'f'ithe link is-bifurcated or provided with a slot 82,bestshown in Fig.2, that is a dapted to' receive the projection 6201"; its

cooperatingthrust pin 60. and is'adap'ted to v be held against lateraldisplacenient by said nately cylindrical in form but has a flat in'g' faces'64 of the pin'60. The distance from V V drical face whereby to provide a lever action on the thrust pins 60. Said cylindricalface 84: of the head" of the -link;ha's"a' rocking suppin. The inner'end 84L ofs'aid pin is approxiup er'faee 86 which is disposed-somewhat abov'efthe center of'the cylindrical formation so' that toes88 are formed thatfpriovide' cam membersfadapted to bear against thebearthe fia't" face 86 to the center orthe circular formation is less than the'radius 'ofthe'c'ylinportend is socket'ed in the semi-circulanan- Y nular groove'78'offthe split rin'g'f68z A; guide" pin 90 is extended thrdugh: the cylindrical endBl-O'f thelink and eiit'endsloos'ely through the .slot- 66"or thethrustpin 60 flandip'r events disengagement" 'o'f said link arid thrnst'jpin and serves to maintain the"link'on' its'f rookmg seat againstdisplac'einent therefrom;

by thekey36. In the clutch-free.condition of the. mechanisi'n, the links 80 are adapted to be a proxi.

mately radially disposed as illustrated in the dotted lines, Fig. 1, and are adapted to'be moved angularly outwardly into the full line position illustrated in Fig. 1 by a movement th'e lin ks F are moved-outwardly, however the toes 88am caused to bear against the bearing faces 64 of the thrust5pins whereby, lZO'iIlOVG the pins axially an'd'thereby to "force thep'lates into clutching"engagement. The links thus constitute thrust membersforthe thrust pins.

The line of thrusto'n the links 80 is somewhat} above' -th'e center of support of thelin-ks-on the bearing face 7 8 of the pressure ring-so that "the links areadapted to'remain in clutchset' position until moved? therefrom; The slots 92 111 theouter'e-ndsof'said linksjareof such. shape that when" theflinks" are'in the radial position illustrated by the d'otted lines, Fig. 1, the operating sleeve 98 Fisper1nitteda substantial amount of axial movement practically independent of the linksandwithoufloperating the clutch for the, purpose-*of'setting the gearing for direct drive. WVhen wear occurs betweentheclutchf plates, the tapered plug 76"is adapted to b'efl'backed olf slightlyto release the clamping pressuri-i on the split ringand the' ringds adaptedtobe maintaining 'its supporting relation with the links 80.

In the ll lodlfied form ofthe? invention, in

portion of the peripheries thereofare exposed at the bases of said: projections? Said pins are loose the thrust pins and-thus l actas ro'jllersfortheoperaftingdinks.

'0? are provided The clutchoperatingllinks" with toes 88" which are-"adapted tofbear against said cam' pins'or rollers to *set' the clutch, the action beihgfessentia'lly the same as befo re;- Said to'es? arerprovidediwith arcuategfaces' thatcon'form Wit-h the rollers, 100i an'dsaijd; rollersare" adapted to be seated p in-s'aid a'rcuat'e faces""therebyi to hold -the The outer nds' of 's'ai'd links are provided with slots 92 therein through WhiCh-pins'QF are-loosely: xtended. Said pinsfare' carried: by arms 96 of aclutch operatin'g sleeve 98 7 that is axially movable on thedri ven shaft" 12 and is 'fixedith'ereon against free rotat ion and sturdy; The operating ilinks are"sliort and are normally radiallyadi'sposed sojthat they occupybut" a: short axial extent. .The

se" 'of pivotfpins' and the-:likeispbviated and largebeari' ig surfaces are providetf between the links and" the supporting pres'sure lIig,

.rotatedsufli'cientlyitotake up the w'eariwhile the wear between the links and the ring is spread over the surface of the ring when the ring is rotated for pressure-adjustment.

The reversing gearing associated with this invention is disclosed and claimed in my copending application SerialNo. 625,390, filed March 15, 1923, on which Patent No. 1,646,- 127 was issued October 18, 1927.

I claim: w

1. Clutch mechanism including the combination of a casing having an end wall, clutch plates disposed therein on one side of said end wall, thrust pins associated With said clutch plates and extended slidably through said end wall, a ring opposed to said thrust pins and carried by said casing on the other side of said end wall and having an angularlyadjustable connection with said casing and having a continuous annular groove opposed to said thrust pins, and operating links having heads which are disposed between said annular groove and pins and are arranged to rock in said groove and to apply pressure on said thrust pins.

2. Clutch mechanism comprising the combination of an enclosing casing, clutch plates contained therein, a thrust pin carried by said casing and disposed to apply pressure on said clutch plates, an annular ring opposed to said thrust pin and having a rotatably adj ustable connection with said casing, said ring having a continuous annular groove therein opposed to said thrust pin, and an operating link having a rocking bearing in said annular groove and a cam bearing on said thrust pin in opposition to said rocking bearing, said thrust pin having means engageable with said operating link to hold it in said rocking bearing.

3. Clutch mechanism comprising the com- .bination of an axially movable thrust pin,

clutch plates engaged by said pin, a stationarily supported angularly-adjustable ring having a continuous annular groove opposed to said thrust pin, an operating link having a cylindrical end disposed between said pin and ring and having a rocking bearing in the groove of said ring, said cylindrical end also having a cam bearing on said thrust pin, said thrust pin having a forwardly directed extension provided with an axially-extended slot therein, and said cylindrical head having a pin extended loosely into said slot.

4:. Clutch mechanism comprising the combination of an axially movable thrust pin, clutch plates engaged by said pin at one end thereof, said pin at the other end having a forwardly directed extension and bearing faces on opposite sides and at the base of said extension, said extension having an axiallydisposed slot therein, a stationarily-supported angularly-adjustable ring opposed to said pin and having a continuous annular groove of cylindrical transverse section in that face thereof opposed to said thrust pin, an operating link for said thrust pin having a bifurcated cylindrically-formed end received loosely over the extension of said thrust pin and having a rocking support in the annular groove of said ring, said cylindrical end having a pin which is extended loosely into the slot of said extension.

5. Clutch mechanism comprising the com bination of an axially movable thrust pin, a stationary pressure ring having an annular groove therein'opposed to said pin, an operating link having a head one end of which is socketed in said groove and the other end of which has a pressure-bearing on said pin, said pin and said head having loosely inter-engaging parts which hold said link in said groove, and an axially-movable sleeve fixed to rot-ate with said pressure ring having a pin and slot connection with said link and also having an arm that engages said link and restrains it from bodily movement laterally.

6. Clutch mechanism'comprising the combination of a shaft, a cylindrical enclosing drum coaxial with said shaft having internal screw'threads at one end and an intermediately-disposed inwardly-directed wall, clutch plates contained in said drum on the side of said Wall opposite said screw threads, thrust pins for said clutch plates axially movable in said wall, a pressure ring having external screw threads received in the screw threads of sald drum, said ring having confronting ends and means to spread said ends apart whereby to lock said ring in any set position thereof within said drum, said ring also having an annular groove in that face thereof opposed to said wall, links having heads at their outer ends which are socketed at one end in the groove of said ring and at the other end have pressure bearings on said pins,

the inner ends of said links being movable inwardly and outwardly through said ring, and a sliding sleeve on said shaft having pivotal connections with the inner ends of said links, whereby to reciprocate them and operate the clutch. In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

HENRY A. TUTTLE. 

